Vehicle body interior ventilation arrangement



R. W. SHIRK Nov. 22, 1966 VEHICLE BODY INTERIOR VENTILATION ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 21, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l I NV ENTOR.

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R. W. SHIRK Nov. 22, 1966 2 Sheets-$heet 2 INVENTOR, 7723 7;"? 1 1/5 3 /7 77a FIVE/5'.

United States Patent 3,286,617 VEHICLE BODY INTERIOR VENTILATION ARRANGEMENT Ricklef W. Shirk, Ferndale, Mich assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 405,374 9 Claims. (Cl. 98-2) This invention relates to a vehicle body and particularly to a unique arrangement for ventilating the vehicle body interior, and improving the operation of the body interior heating and/or air conditioning equipment. This body ventilation control will also reduce window fogging and/or eliminate moisture dripping from the large, substantially horizontally extending, rear window. This invention is an improvement on that shown in the copending application of Robert C. Ziegenfelder, Serial No. 384,839, filed July 24, 1964.

The dual purpose vehicle herein disclosed has the exterior lines of a sports car, without the interior restrictions that often characterize a car of this type. It Will seat five passengers with ease. Versatility is provided by a spacious rear utility compartment that is generally designated by the reference numeral 16. Its exterior styling is dominated by a fast-back design (see FIGS. 1 and 4) in which the roof line blends together with an extra large rear Window 12 to form a continuous are from the windshield rearwardly and downwardly to the trunk compartment.

Beneath the vast expanse of the rear window glass is the large, functionally designed utility area 16 (see FIG. 4). Notably absent is a package shelf. Instead, there is a flat, carpeted floor which can be extended to a sevenfoot length by folding the rear seat back 20 forwardly to a horizontal position and dropping the hinged security panel 17 rearwardly to a horizontal position. The hinged security panel 17, when latched in its upstanding position (FIG. 4), angles upwardly to fit snugly beneath the rear window rear garnish beam 53. Panel 17 is called a security panel because the latch means 29 therefor is operable only from within the trunk compartment 68 (see FIG. 2). When the security panel 17 is latched in its upstanding position the contents of the trunk compartment 68 are effectively sealed oif from the interior passenger compartment of the vehicle. When unlatched, the panel 17 is folded rearwardly into the trunk where it seats fiat over the concealed tire well 69.

A prime innovation in the utility area 16 is associated with'the means for accomplishing air exhaust from the body interior by valve controlled openings located in the beam 13 at the base of the rear window 12 (see FIG.

, The air exhausted from the passenger compartment is passed over the top of the security panel end 17c and into the rear window lower garnish beam chamber 56 from which it is allowed to escape into the atmosphere through I valved openings 57 as hereinafter described. By promoting this fiow of air from the front to the rear of the passenger compartment, there is a better airflow to the rear seat passengers, the large rear Window 12 is normally kept clear of fog or moisture, the reduced body interior pressure improves the operation and efficiency of the interior heating or air conditioning system, and conditioned or heated air is efficiently transferred throughout the car interior without opening any of the vehicle windows. In addition, because of the valved openings 57, the back pressure within the body interior is reduced and door closing can be accomplished with less effort. Furthermore, because there are no air exhaust ports opening directly from the car interior into the beam 13, the road noise that might be transmitted from the trunk area 68 into the car is effectively silenced by the tortuous air flow path through the beam chamber 56.

Inasmuch as the usual vehicle body diagonal braces beneath the rear Window 12 and the rear seat shelf panel structure are eliminated by the arrangement of the utility compartment 16 behind the rear seat, a network of specially designed structural members (see FIG. 3) makes up the body structure surrounding the rear window 12 that provides the necessary body torsional rigidity. Of primary importance is the arch or truss member 13, a reinforced box section, that extends transversely of and is anchored to the body sides and forms the supporting structure for the rear edge portion of the rear window 12. In addition to supporting the lower part of the rear window glass 12 the arch 13 takes up the load from the rear deck hinging and also serves as a body interior air exhaust duct as will be explained.

It is a prime object of this invention to provide a novel arrangement for improved heating and ventilating of the interior of a vehicle body and to particularly include improved means to clear and defog a large rear window area such as the rear window of a fast back type vehicle.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a.

novel rear window structural supporting beam or arch that includes suitable vehicle body interior air exhaust conduit structure such that the back pressure within the closed vehicle body will be sufliciently low to give improved interior heating and ventilating and, in addition, provide improved sealing between the windlace strips surrounding all window and door openings and the adjacent windows or doors.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved means of passing body interior air out of the body through a duct work or flow path that effectively damps or eliminates any noise that might tend to filter back into the body interior through the air flow passageway.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from a reading of the following description and a consideration of the related drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a two door, hardtop, fast back motor vehicle embodying this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear end of the vehicle body shown in FIGURE 1, wherein the trunk lid is shown in open or elevated position;

FIGURE 3 is another fragmentary perspective view of the vehicle body shown in FIGURE 1 with portions thereof broken away and shown in section or by broken lines so as to more clearly bring out certain body structural elements and arrangements that contribute materially to the invention embodied in this vehicle;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevational view extending longitudinally of the vehicle body shown in FIGURES 1 through 3 and disclosing the interi-or of the vehicle body with the second seat and the security panel in raised or erected positions;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevational view showing the hollow garnish beam body structural element at the rear edge of the vehicle body rear window, this view being taken along the line of and in the direction of the arrows 55 applied to FIGURE 4;

FIGURE .6 is another enlarged fragmentary sectional elevational view showing the one-way valve mechanism in the hollow garnish beam member, this view being taken along the line of and in the direction of the arrows 66 applied to FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view taken along the line of and in the direction of the arrow 7 of FIGURE 8; and

FIGURE 8 is another fragmentary sectional elevationa-l view taken along the line of and in the direction of the arrows 8-8 of FIGURE7.

As previously indicated the invention included in this application is shown associated with a so-cal-led fast back vehicle body of the two door hardtop type. However,

'the ventilation control arrangement specifically disclosed and claimed herein is adapted to be applied to any style body and therefore this invention is to be limited only by the claims land not by the specific body form disclosed.

FIG. 1 shows a so called two door, fast back vehicle .body B wherein the rearwardly and downwardly sloping hardtop roof 1!) extends from the top of the windshield 31 to the enlarged rear window 12. The rear edge 11 of the roof is preferably rearwardly of the body sec- ,ond seat back 20 (see FIG. 4) so that the passengers on the second seat 34 will be shielded from the sun by the overlying opaque roof 10. The large single doors 32 on each side of the vehicle body B permit easy access to the vehicle front seats 33 which may be individually adjustable bucket seats or a bench type seat with a pivoted back section. Also the large doors 32 and pivoted front seat backs 37 permit easy access to the second or rear seat 34.

From FIGS. 1 and 4 it is also obivous that maximum visibility is provided for all passengers of the disclosed type of vehicle because of the novel window arrangement. There is no B post or middle post located be tween the rear edge of the vertically adjustable door window 35 and the vertically adjustable quarter panel window 36. A trim sealing channel 35a may be mounted to extend along the rear vertical edge of the door window 35 to sealingly engage the forward vertical edge of the quarter panel window 36. Obviously when the door window 35 is lowered then the edge seal 35a is lowered into the door 32 such that it can not provide an obstruction to vision from within the vehicle body. The front doors 32 each include the usual pivotally mounted, adjustable vent windows 38. Rearwardly of each of the quarter panel windows 36 is a C post or rear post 39.

The side C posts 39 (see FIG. 3) provide the legs of the inverted U-shaped roof truss or beam 40. Beam cooperates with the garnish beam 13 located rearwardly of and beneath the beam 40 to provide the major support for the large rearwardly and downwardly sloping rear window 12. Window 12 is preferably of heat absorbing glass or some similar transparent material.

Looking now to FIGS. 1 through 4 in particular, it will be noted that vehicle body B includes a rearwardly and downwardly sloping a-rcuate roof section 10 that termin-ates at its rear edge 11 where the roof arc blends into.

a large rear window section 12. The rear window 12 is of substantially an inverted U-sha-pe in cross sectional configuration and it slopes rearwardly and downwardly to the garnish beam rear window support member 13. Suitable resilient window mounting seal strips 15 connect the rear window glass 12 to the surrounding vehicle -bodystructure. There is no body shelf member or diagonal structural body bracing located at the rear or beneath the rear edge of the rear window 12 such as is usually the case with conventional vehicle body designs. It is apparent, particularly from FIG. 4, that the rear window 12 overlies the utility storage area that is the rear edge portion of the kick-up floor 19. Latch means 29 (see FIGS. 2 and 5) is provided at one or more locations along the upper edge of the security panel 17 so that the security panel may be latched to keeper members 21 carried by the garnish beam member 13.

The'upper or exposed face of the security panel 17, the top face of the kick-up floor section 19 andthe rear side of the second seat back 20 are all preferably covered with carpeting material such that when the rear seat back 20 and the security panel 17 are lowered to substantially horizontal positions, there is a continuously carpeted, relatively long, floor area that extends from the rear side of the front seat back 37 to the rear end of the vehicle.

Looking now at FIGS. 3 and 4 it will be noted that the specific body structure disclosed eliminates the shelf panel that is usual-1y positioned adjacent the lower edge of the vehicle body rear window. Not only is the shelf member eliminated but also there are no vertical structural braces or panels extending from the garnish molding beam 13 to the floor section 19 beneath the beam 13. This entire area is kept free of structural members so that the security panel 17 can have unimpaired swinging movement between its erect and horizontal positions. Also it is desired to have a clear maximum size opening between the utility area 16 and the trunk area 68 when the security panel 17 is lowered.

In this vehicle body it will be noted the lower rear edge of the rear window 12 (see FIG. 5) is mounted in a a resilient sealing strip 15 carried by a fence portion 51 that forms a part of the garnish molding beam 13. This transversely extending garnish beam 13 is a hollow box section and it is utilized not only as a major structural member to rigidify the rear end portion of the vehicle body, but, in addition, beam 13 provides a hollow air flow conduit that facilitates the heating and ventilation of the vehicle body interior and it also facilitates cleaning and defogging of the relatively large rear window 12.

Looking at FIGS. 48, and particularly FIG. 5, it will be noted that the upper end 17e of the security panel 17 is spaced from the stepped portion 55 of the lower side of beam 13 when panel 17 is latched to beam 13. The spacer plugs 86, see FIGS. 7 and 8, prevent the panel end 17e from sealingly engaging the portion 55 of beam 13 when the panel 17 is latched in its upright position. Because of the spacer plugs 86 there is always a restricted air flow path from the vehicle body interior over the upper end of panel edge 17c and into the trunk area 68 as clearly shown by the arrows 59. Looking at FIG. 3 it will be noted that the air flow from the body interior into the trunk area 68, that is indicated by the arrows 59, escapes from the trunk area 68 through the ports 54 that are formed in the lower side 77 of beam 13. While, two such ports 54 are shown in FIG. 3, it is obvious that any number could be used or the beam 13 could merely have open end portions that would serve the same purpose. Interior air passing out of the body through the space between the panel end 17e and the beam portion 55 has a tortuous path on its way to ports 54 that prevents noise transmission back into the body interior by this same path. Ports 54 connect the trunk area 68 with the hollow chamber 56 in beam 13 so that the interior air passing into the trunk area 68 and then through ports 54 and into hollow chamber 56 can pass outwardly through the valved ports 57 to the space 60 that connects to the atmosphere. This air flow path is protected against the weather and the one-way flap valves 58 prevent noise and obnoxious gases, or the like, from passing backwardly from the atmosphere into the car interior. The air passing into the conduit chamber 56 from the trunk area 68 can pass through the valve controlled exhaust ports or slots 57 formed in the rear wall 52 of the garnish beam 13 because these slots 57 are controlled by oneway rubber flap valve plates 58. Air following the path of the arrows 59 will be exhausted to the atmosphere through the space 60 that extends between the upper edge 61 of the trunk lid 62 and the spaced adjacent edge 63 of the garnish beam 13. It has been found that not only does the arrangement of the exhaust duct 56' provide a means that prevents fogging and moisture dripping from the large rear window 12, due to the air circulation thereacross, but, in addition, exhaust duct 56 tends to reduce the back pressure within the vehicle body so that air circulation across the car heater coils (not shown) is increased and there is a more efli-cient and faster heat transfer in the car heating system. Air circulation from the front of the body interior to the rear portion thereof is also materially improved. Because of the one-way valve flaps 58 it is believed to be obvious that smoke, dust and similar foreign gases exteriorly of the vehicle cannot bleed back into the vehicle interior from the atmosphere when the pressure within the vehicle body is reduced. Valve flaps 58 are also effective to provide a means opposing noise transfer to the vehicle interior through slots 55. i

Tests have shown a significant improvement in heating and ventilating of the vehicle body interior, as a result of the incorporation of the valved exhaust slots 57 in the hollow body structure duct 56 when there is a spacing of the upper end 17c of the security panel 17 from sealing engagement with the beam portion 55. This arrangement has improved air conditioner and heater output by the reduction in interior back pressure. Also, there has been an improvement in the elimination of noise transmitted to the body interior through the air exhaust system. This is believed to result from the tortuous path the exhaust air must follow and the fact that there are no exhaust ports that face directly into the car body interior.

In addition to providing improved interior air flow without opening of Windows, improved heater and/or air conditioner efliciency because of reduced back pressure, better air circulation to the rear seat passengers, reduced interior pressure for easier and better door sealing, and improved window defogging and moisture re moval, the disclosed body ventilation plan also lends itself to easier deck or trunk lid closing. Looking at FIGS.

3 and 4, it will be noted that the opposite ends of the hollow garnish beam member 13 are pierced by the air transfer openings or slots 54. These slots 54 facilitate easier deck lid closing. When the deck lid 62 (see FIG. 2) is swung downwardly to a closed position it traps air in the trunk compartment 68 and tends to compress this air. The compression of the air exerts a reaction against deck lid closing such that more operator effort may be required. By providing the openings 54 in the lower side or wall 77 of the garnish beam 13, the air trapped in the trunk compartment 68 can escape through the openings 54, the hollow conduit 56 and pass outwardly to the surrounding atmosphere through the valved slots 57 as indicated by the arrows 59 in FIG. 5. Thus it will be seen that the novel ventilation duct 13 serves a dual function, namely, to improve body passenger area ventilation and air control and to also reduce deck lid closing effort.

To accommodate increased forced fresh air circulating across the large rear window 12, provision is made (see FIG. 4) for the mounting of a separate electric motor driven fan unit '83 in the trunk area 68. This fan 83 is connected by a flexible or rigid conduit 82 to the elongated slot 81 in the body interior wall portion that extends along the lower side edge of the rear window 12. The slot 81 on the opposite side of the vehicle (not shown) Would normally serve as an exhaust slot for the air passed across the inside of the window 12 by the action of fan 83. Slots 81 may be formed with knock out plug covers to keep the body interior better sealed if a circulation fan 83 is not required.

The garnish beam 13 (see FIG. 2) that mounts the lower rear edge of the rear window 12 and provides structural bracing for the rear end sheet metal of the body B also serves as the mounting bar for the trunk lid 62. From FIG. 2 it is clear that beam 13 mounts a pair. of strap hinges 79 that each have one leaf bolted to the beam 13 and the other leaf bolted to the trunk lid 62. A suitable sealing strip 78 (see FIG. 5) is compressively engaged between the trunk lid 62 and the beam 13.

The specific vehicle seating and security panel arrangement herein is not a part of this invention but is disclosed and claimed in copending US. patent application Serial No. 367,151, filed May 13, 1964, now US. Patent 3,240,527 in the name of Howard E. Weiss et al.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body having a roof section overlying a seating area and a transparent window panel positioned rearward-1y of the seating area with said window panel ext-ending transversely of the body and sloping downwardly from said roof section, a hollow beam member extending transversely of the vehicle body along at least one edge of said window panel, a body panel member extending between said beam member and the vehicle body floor therebelow to separate the body seating area from the body trunk area rearwardly of the body panel, said body panel having upper edge portions thereof spaced from said beam member to provide air flow passages from the vehicle body seating area forwardly of the panel to the body trunk area rearwardly of the panel, and ports in portions of the beam member located rearwardly of said body panel to pass air from the trunk area rear-wardly of the body panel into and through said hollow beam member, said beam member having exhaust porting associated therewith to control the exhaust of air from the body through the hollow beam member and outwardly therefrom to the atmosphere.

2. In a vehicle body having a roof section overlying a seating area and a transparent window panel positioned rearwardly of the seating area with said window panel extending transversely of the body and downwardly from said roof section, a hollow beam member extending transverselyof the vehicle body along the lower transverse edge of said window panel, a movable interior body panel member extending, in erected position, between said beam member and the vehicle body floor therebelow to separate the body seating area from the body trunk area rearwardly of the body panel, said body panel having upper edge portions thereof nested behind a depending portion of said beam member but spaced from said beam member to provide air flow passages from the vehicle body seating area forwardly of the panel to the body trunk area rearward'ly of the panel, and ports in portions of the beam member located rearwardly of said body panel to pass air from the trunk area rearwardly of the body panel into and through said hollow beam member, said beam member having exhaust porting associated therewith to control the exhaust of air from the body seating area through the hollow beam member and outwardly therefrom to the atmosphere.

3. In a vehicle body having a roof section overlying a sea-tmg area and a transparent window panel positioned rearwandly of the seating area with said window panel extending transversely of the body and downwardly from said roof section, a hollow beam member extending transversely of the vehicle body along the lower transverse edge of said window panel, a body panel pivotally mounted on the vehicle floor and extending, in erected position, between said beam member and the vehicle body floor therebelow to separate the body seating area from the body trunk area rearwardly of the body panel, said body panel havmg upper edge portions thereof nested behind a depending stepped portion in the lower side of said beam member but spaced from said beam member to provide air flow passages from the vehicle body seating area forwardly of the panel to the body trunk area rearwar-dly of the panel, and ports in portions of the beam member located rearward'ly of said body panel to pass air from the trunk area rearwardly of the body panel into and through said hollow beam member, said beam member having exhaust porting associated therewith to control the exhaust of air from the body seating area through the hollow beam member and outwardly therefrom to the atmosphere.

4. In a vehicle body arrangement as set forth in claim 3 wherein said body panel upper edge portions are spaced from said hollow beam member by spaced apart abutment members and cooperating latch means that anchor said body panel, in erected position, to said hollow beam member.

5. In a vehicle body having a rigid roof section overlying a seating area and a transparent window panel positioned rearwardly of the seating area with said window panel extending transversely of the body and downwardly from said roof section, a hollow beam member extending transversely of the vehicle body and supporting a transverse edge of said window panel, said beam member having inlet ports in a downwardly facing side thereof connectible to the seating area and exhaust ports in a rearwardly facing side thereof that discharges to the vehicle body exterior, said inlet and discharge ports being so located that the air flow from the seating area and through said hollow beam member follows a tortuous path that damps noise transmission.

6. In a vehicle body having a rigid roof section overlying a seating area and a transparent window panel positioned rearwardly of the seating area with said window panel extending transversely of the body and downwardly from said roof section, a hollow beam member extending transversely of the vehicle body between opposite sides thereof and supporting a transverse lower edge of said window panel, said beam member having inlet ports in a downwardly facing side thereof connectibl'e to the seating area and exhaust ports in a rearwardly facing side thereof that discharges to the vehicle body exterior, said inlet and discharge ports being so located that the air flow from the seating area and through said hollow beam member follows a tortuous path that damps noise transmission, said discharge ports having one-way valving associated therewith to prevent back flow from the atmosphere exteriorly of the vehicle body into the vehicle body through said hollow beam member.

7. In a vehicle body having an opaque roof section overlying the seating area and a transparent window panel positioned rearwardly of the seating area with said window 8 V panel extending transversely of the body and projecting downwardly and rearwardly from said opaque roof section, a tubular beam member extending transversely of the vehicle body and supporting the lower transverse edge of said window panel, a body interior panel member extending between said beam member and the vehicle body floor therebelow to separate the seating area forwardly of the body panel from the trunk area rearwardly thereof, said body panel having upper edge portions thereof anchored to and spaced from said beam member to provide air flow passages from the vehicle body interior forwardly of the body panel to the trunk area rearwardly of the panel, and inlet ports in certain portions of the beam member located in the trunk area rearwardly of said panel to receive air from the trunk area and pass it through said tubular beam member for discharge to the atmosphere exterior ly of the body, said beam member having discharge porting therein spaced from said inlet ports to control the exhaust of air from the tubular beam member outwardly to the atmosphere.

8. In a vehicle body as set forth in claim 7 wherein the inlet ports in said beam member are located in the beam end portions and the discharge porting is located centrally of the length "of said beam member.

9. In a vehicle body as set forth in claim 7 wherein the discharge porting has one-way valving associated therewith to prevent air backflow from the atmosphere into the tubular beam member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,761,370 9/1956 Rhoades 982 3,143,951 8/1964 Watt 982 FOREIGN PATENTS 216,370 7/1951 Austria.

MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner. 

5. IN A VEHICLE BODY HAVING A RIGID ROOF SECTION OVERLYING A SEATING AREA AND A TRANSPARENT WINDOW PANEL POSITIONED REARWARDLY OF THE SEATING AREA WITH SAID WINDOW PANEL EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE BODY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID ROOF SECTION, A HOLLOW BEAM MEMBER EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE VEHICLE BODY AND SUPPORTING A TRANSVERSE EDGE OF SAID WINDOW PANEL, SAID BEAM MEMBER HAVING INLET PORTS IN A DOWNWARDLY FACING SIDE THEREOF CONNECTIBLE TO THE SEATING AREA AND EXHAUST PORTS IN A REARWARDLY FACING SIDE THEREOR THAT DISCHARGES TO THE VEHICLE BODY EXTERIOR, SAID INLET AND DISCHARGE PORTS BEING SO LOCATED THAT THE AIR FLOW FROM THE SEATING AREA AND THROUGH SAID HOLLOW BEAM MEMBER FOLLOWS A TORTUOUS PATH THAT DAMPS NOISE TRANSMISSION. 